1839-O Quarter Eagle - 1839-O $2.5 NGC AU55. This eye-appealing, Choice About Uncirculated, Southern branch mint 1839-O Quarter Eagle has the look of a near-Gem piece. The surfaces are clean for the grade with unquestioned originality as seen by the greenish-gold color of both sides of the piece. The strike is above average with full details on the higher areas of the hair curls, the reverse rims, and the dentils on both sides. Original mint luster shows within the devices and in protected areas.
 
The Classic Head quarter eagle was minted from 1834 to 1839. Designed by William Kneass, it shows a head of Liberty in profile facing left. She wears a LIBERTY inscribed headband that reveals the curly hair on top of her head, which also flows down her neck. She is surrounded by thirteen six-pointed stars, and the date is below. Dentils are around the periphery of the coin. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle with its head facing left. In its talons are olive branch and arrows, symbols of peace and preparedness. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc around the eagle, interrupted by the wing tips. The denomination, written as 2 D., is below. The mintmark is on the obverse below the truncation and above the date.

Because the gold coinage in circulation was being melted for its bullion value, Mint Director Samuel Moore ordered William Kneass to design quarter and half eagles with lower weight and fineness. He also told Kneass to omit the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM on the new Classic Head coins so they would be easily identified as being made with less gold content. This action prevented the older gold coins from being exported, and the public was thus induced to bring them into the Mint for recoinage.

The Classic Head motif chosen by Kneass is a copy of John Reichs Large Cent design of 1808-1814 and the half cents of 1825-1836. The eagle design is also similar to an earlier Reich eagle designed for gold coins.

William Kneass was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was a field engineer in the War of 1812 and helped fortify the city of Philadelphia. He was an engraver of plates for books and had his business on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. In addition to line engraving he also made intaglio prints. He worked in two firms, Kneass & Delaker and Young & Kneass & Co. At the Mint, Kneass was known as a popular and useful Engraver, who worked well and quickly to furnish all the dies that were needed for coinage during his time of office. He was remembered as, a warm gentleman of the old-school, who had the rare quality of engaging and winning the esteem and affection of children and youth. Kneass suffered a stroke in August, 1835. From then until his death, Assistant Engraver Christian Gobrecht did the pattern and die work at the Mint. He was succeeded by Gobrecht as Chief Engraver on December 21, 1840. 

In its population report, NGC shows that it has certified 54 1839-O quarter eagles at the AU55 grade level.